This is really big news - as an online media outfit, the viability of running CyclingTips to satisfy the vision of founder Wade Wallace was regularly discussed in the posts and newsletters, though the site and popularity has continued to grow.

BikeExchange is a popular online Australian bike marketplace which allows online shops to place their inventory online for sale through BikeExchange.

The partnership with BikeExchange will allow us to put those visions into motion and both businesses will be stronger together as a result.

What does this mean for CyclingTips? Well, for starters CyclingTips and BikeExchange will work together but remain separate sites. We’re always striving to get better and that won’t change. What this allows us to do is to expand into new markets and get better at what we do.- Wade Wallace

I read this last night and I'm still baffled how Cycling Tips will be able maintain impartiality when they are owned by a online "marketplace". One of the best things about Cycling Tips is their ability to look with fresh and impartial eyes at issues such as doping, motors in bikes, UCI vs ASO etc. I'm a fan of the site and would love this to work but I have some very strong doubts....

This is a good question and also something I have considered. I assume that the backing from Bike Exchange will allow CyclingTips Blog to do more - to grow, while the international reach of CyclingTips will help Bike Exchange expand into overseas markets.

Because of the nature of both sites, any effect on impartiality would be marginal as CyclingTips don't really have substantial advantage from covering or not covering news. You could speculate that there could be a priority for Bike Exchange positive content (events, brands, campaigns), though the nature and DNA of CyclingTips has been to take an open and ethical approach to news - even if this means communicating a dilemma or justification for coverage or non-coverage.

Now bringing in a paywall of some description, being sold as a membership with perks. Ive used the site for quite a few years now, mostly for race results and the daily news updates, a lot of their other articles increasingly appearing now, dont interest me greatly. Im also finding my internet connection doesnt like the changes to the main site in the past 12 months, my phone works fine with the mobile site, but the loading time for the pages on the main site has made it close to unusable some days, not having the same issue on other websites, so it seems to be a CT thing.

I used to read it daily when it was mainly local interest and before it went all pro. Now it's all race results that can be found elsewhere and cut-and-paste jobs from sites like L'Equipe and Inner Ring that somehow become "By Cycling Tips". I think I finally gave up when when they featured a review of a bell that cost something like AUD$70, maybe more. Whatever audience is seriously interested in a $70 bell doesn't include me.

I see that that their new "insider club" includes "Exclusive Kit" - I expect that this will be at least as prestigious as Round the Bay in a Day jerseys.

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